The Bride's Arrival (1)

The cult hideout was always a cold place, located in the middle of a deep forest. It was not an ugly, run down, or discarded area.

While it looked like a haunted mansion from the outside. It was actually a lavish mansion with vintage ornament, a wooden staircase, and paintings hanging along the hallway.

The biggest painting was in the hall directly facing the main door. It was a painting framed with a gold border, artistically enhanced by adding wavy strokes and natural diamonds on the frame. The painting was made specifically for the cult of Endless Entity. The painting was pure black, with no other colour or motives on it. It was to honour Endless Entity's true, unknown power.

The painting might baffle people who looked at it for the first time. What sane person would put a simple, pure black painting into such a beautiful frame? It had no meaning. However, for those who understood Endless Entity, this was the perfect picture to describe His power.

The priest and his underlings stood nervously in the main hall. The new bride would arrive shortly. The cult had cleaned the mansion; prepared a feast; and provided the best, most lavished room in the mansion. They couldn't afford to disappoint the bride as the bride's favour was also their Lord's favour.

The main door opened slowly, the mist started filling the main hall as the bride entered. The new bride stepped with heels. The steps sounded very light, as if she was levitating. No one dared to raise their face until the bride told them to do so. The cold atmosphere started seeping through their skin when the bride sat on the special seat made with expensive wood and embedded with sapphire pieces in its armrest.

The bride crossed her legs, showing her long and smooth leg, then she said:

"Raise your head."

A cold but alluring voice commanded them as if they were hypnotized. Everyone raised their head without hesitation. They weren't shocked only with the bride's beauty but also with her extravagant gown, pale skin and slender figure. She had long hair, black as coal. She decorated her hair with a butterfly brooch. And she wore earrings with an eyeball shaped gem dangling.

She wore a loose purple dress, showing her back and shoulders. Three belts style imitated three golden thorny vines tightly wrapped under her chest to her upper waist. She wore sharp, purple glass heels which ornament was intricate enough to exclaim its worth. While she was very slender, she still had a grande appearance; her beauty and luxurious style were out of this world.

After few minutes of silence, the priest welcomed the bride first.

"Milady, I am the priest of this cult of Endless Entity. I humbly welcomed Milady into our small domain. I wish Milady could lead us. With Milady's guidance, I believe we could serve our Lord better," said the priest.

The priest offered the rod of Endless Entity to her, which she rejected disdainfully, "I have no use of such accessory within my domain."

Of course, her words shocked everyone. Many would kill to have the rod. It was a powerful tool engraved with a totem that could shoot a powerful beam and a sovereign tool for those who ruled this cult. For a bride to reject such gift from Endless Entity was surprising.

Everyone looked at the priest, who glared at the bride in rage. He was ready to blast the bride with that same rod, though he held his anger and acted calmly.

"Then, let me keep this rod for you, Milady," the priest said. He turned back, directly looking at his followers. He still couldn't control his facial expression after that rejection but decided to act as if nothing happened.

"Everyone, we are fortunate and honoured to be guided by a bride of Endless Entity. It means our God recognize our community's influence. We should not disappoint the bride or the Endless Entity. Let's rejoice and welcome our new bride, Lady Mephistopheles."

The cultist kneeled as if the one sitting on the chair was Endless Entity himself. The bride's regal bringing and cold stare stomped their confidence. She stood up, "I would like to see my room, and I heard one of you can open a gate."

"That would be me, Milady," Aesha raised her voice but kept her head down. Lady Mephistopheles instructed her to stand up, "I'd like to see your ability. Transport me to my room."

"Yes, Milady."

Aesha cupped her hands and closed her eyes. Her bracelet started making ringing noises alongside her chanting. A small portal appeared in front of Lady Mephistopheles, which grew larger until enough for her to fit in. Aesha stopped chanting the incantation but still intertwined cupped her hands. "The gate is ready, Milady."

"I see. It is imperfect," the Lady chuckled, "But it can be improved."

"I'm unworthy of such compliment, Milady."

Not knowing if it was a compliment or an insult, Aesha still felt grateful that the lady didn't kill her. She could be disposed if Lady Mephistopheles found that the gate skill of hers was useless.

"Then, excuse me, but I have an important matter to do in private," Lady Mephistopheles entered the gate.

Before Aesha could close the gate, her fingers twisted in such awful direction that she screamed her lungs out, the gate did not close, but vanished as if it was nothing. She dropped unconscious shortly after. Everyone backed off from her, shocked and confused about what just happened to Aesha. The doctor approached her and checked her wrist. With a cold voice, he announced the cause of her condition.

"She is unconscious due to shock. As for her fingers-- A demoness snapped all of it without mercy…"

When the doctor mentioned a demoness, the cultists knew that the Lady was not happy with the gate. Even though it worked fine, she was not amused by it. Many of the cultists felt weak. If the amazing skill such as gate could not entertain the Lady, then most of them were dead meat for sure.